An intriguing experiment

One of the best eco-things in the media over the last few months, for my money, has been Newsnight's 'Ethical Man', Justin Rowlatt, trying to live a low-carbon, vaguely green life for a year. His reports managed to be many of the things that greenies often fail to be when they try and communicate with the public: succinct, witty, fun to watch and realistic. They also avoided being some of the things that greenies often end up being: smug, self-righteous, depressing, catastrophic.

Now I've come across his American equivalent, No Impact Man, who is going to spend the next year trying to save the planet. Why?

I can't stand my so-called liberal self sitting around not doing anything about it anymore. The question is: what would it be like if I took the situation (or at least my tiny part of it) into my own hands? I'm finding out.

For one year, my wife, my 2-year-old daughter, my dog and I, while living in the middle of New York City, are attempting to live without making any net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no carbon emissions, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no toiletsâ?¦

This is nonsense, right? The little man, or woman, can do nothing in the face of global capitalism, and turning off a few lights makes bugger all difference while China produces a billion new fridges every second.

In my darkest moments I certainly think so. But in my lighter ones, I think I'm probably wrong. No Impact Man doesn't plan to save the world, after all. He plans to do his bit, as do I. We can't do it all; we shouldn't expect to. And after everything, it is still conceivable that we are all doomed and that nothing can save us. But living lightly is not, anyway, about 'saving the world'. It's about saving yourself, and it is it's own reward. I don't grow my own vegetables to bring down capitalism or prevent climate change. I just want to. It makes me happy. It is a better way to live than going to Tesco.

So I salute anyone who takes a step back, away from the Machine. Saving the world is probably impossible. Saving yourself, and doing your bit, isn't. So there are no excuses.